New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Anyone know New Orleans that well?

I'm staying down there for a few days at the end of Sept - will be in the Garden District. Will have a pair of legs, a tram/bus pass and cash for a cab.

Now (hopefully it goes without saying) I've done the usual search around the Internet but just wondered if anyone recommend a

- Punk/metal bar (ie some Punk on the jukebox and a couple of pool tables)

- Sight seeing trip - is it worth doing a tour of the swamps? Or the really cheesy 'Katrina Tours'? Or just stick to the central sights?

- Vegetarian eating place. I've found quite a few - wondered if anyone can vouch for a place - preferably licensed (but not essential).

- Got tickets for the Saints v Panthers game on Sun 3rd Oct. Midday ko. Any good tailgating tips? (apart from not having a too heavy-a-one the night before so you can get up in time!)

Any links to stuff appreciated. Thanks.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Most of the bars I know are in the French quarter, such as Molly's and several others on Lower Decatur. The Saint (might be in the Lower Garden district), Half Moon and several others I can't remember the names of (probably a good sign).

Avoid Bourbon St.

check out happycow.net for vegetarian places

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Haven't been there in eons, but Tipitina's was always fun.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

My last trip there was in 2003 -- pre-Katrina. However, the Big Easy is the f**king JAZZ capital of the world. Why would you go to a "punk/metal" bar with a juke box?

Garden District is lovely -- there are guidebooks and some guided tours. Do it on foot. FWIW, Archie Manning's house is in the Garden District. Archie was the QB for old New Orleans "Ain'ts." His beloved Saints were in the Super Bowl last January in the Super Dome and Archie's son Peyton was one of the quarterbacks. New Orleans went delirious when the team QB'd by the native son lost. I presume Archie was conflicted, to say the least.

The Louisiana liquor laws are one of the most lenient in the U.S. Hell, they sell frozen daiquiris to go and you can walk down the street enjoying it.

On being a vegetarian -- you don't specify your level of vegetarianism -- if you eat seafood, then NO is the place for you -- you need not touch meat. I've have vegetarian friends manage quite will on the various dishes with rice, beans and veggies.

Although it is on the tourist maps, do hit Cafe Du Monde. They serve coffee with chicory. The way you are able to drink it is that you eat a beignet which is a lot of sugar on a pastry.

In 2003, I attended a party at restaurant at an old lakeside restaurant in Lake Ponchatrain. I had my then new digital camera with me and a lot of pictures were taken. The attendees were shocked when they saw the photos inasmuch as no one was feeling any pain. Unfortunately, the place was destroyed in Katrina by the storm surge.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Swamp tours - one of the few touristy things I went back and did it again, albeit a few years later. I even got to hold a baby 'gator (or is it croc? I can never remember).

The zoo (west; take the streetcar) and the aquarium (downtown, riverfront) are both quite good. There's an IMAX at the aquarium as well, if you're into that sort of thing.

All of this was pre-Katrina so things could have changed.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

We did a ghost tour if you're into that sort of thing.

We also did the river cruise because I'm a sucker for those.

I would weigh 400 pounds if we lived there. :unsure:

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Indie bars a-plenty on Frenchman street adjacent to the French quarter.

Check out the park by the zoo. The war museum is worth a visit too.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

New Orleans excels in jazz, blues, zydeco and other styles of music. Going there for punk is not exactly embracing the local culture...

The tourist trap bars are located toward the western end of Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. But you can do better by going to Frenchmen Street in Marigny (pronounced "Mare-uh-nee"), to Tipitina's in the Garden District or to Maple Leaf Bar in Carrollton.

http://www.neworleansonline.com/newo...menstreet.html
http://www.tipitinas.com/
http://mapleleafbar.com/

Holding fast to a veggie diet is a terrific way to miss out on what also makes New Orleans uniquely, namely the food. At the very least, you should stretch yourself and have some seafood. (Red beans and rice has sausage in it, so don't assume that it is a vegetarian dish.)

Do be careful where you walk; the transition between good and bad neighborhoods can be drastic. Avoid walking at night on unlit streets, even in parts of the French Quarter, and don't visit St. Louis No. 1 cemetery on your own, day or night. (Take a tour for the latter.)

If walking at night from the Quarter to Marigny, I'd tend to stay on Decatur, which is well lit and fairly busy. Even if distances are short, it can be better to take a cab than to walk.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

There isn't a level of vegetarianism that includes seafood.

BTW - OP - Would pay to check what rice and beans has been cooked in as unfortunately meat stock can be used.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

The NOMA is one of my favorite museums primarily because of the sculpture garden. The French and Italian permanent collections are sublime.

Personally, I would give New Orleans a complete miss from June - September. It is surrounded by swamps and though you may never set foot in a swamp, the smell finds its way to you. :sneaky:

New Orleans is for Jazz, (meat based) eating, junk and antique shopping, and booze, definitely NOT vegetarianism and punk. I'm not dissing you - just warning you - your vegetarian friend will be eating salads for every meal.

Food:
Muffulettas - at Central Grocery
Mother's - ham for breakfast or po' boys (actually anything anytime there)
Cafe DuMonde - for beignets and coffee

There will be long lines at all of these places and for good reason.

New Orleans can be very much a white table cloth, dress for dinner, kind of place if that's what you want as well. You'll still be eating French creole which all revolves around seafood, steaks, and chops, so it won't help your vegetarian situation much.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Can you carry concealed while doing so? ;)

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

We did the Natchez river cruise too. We also did a bus tour around the city.

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

Hey! Thanks for the replies :-)

Bourbon over to Frenchman Street in Marigny - back along Decatur over Canal to Magazine Street. Seems like a good plan.

I won't be eating any seafood and you may be surprised that there are quite a lot of veggie options in New Orleans:

http://www.nolavegetarian.com/

Scroll down to 'Juan’s Flying Burrito' cafe and they actually sell something called a 'Veggie Punk Burrito'. (there is no 'Veggie Jazz Burrito'!)

I'll get into whatever music the locals are playing (Jazz etc) but being a born 'n' bred Punk Rocker I do have to ask. Plus as one of my mates I'll be with is someone I first met in the Southampton Punk Scene back in the 80's we do have to try and find somewhere for old-time's sake...

Safety? Yeah you do hear a lot of 'watch out for the dark streets'. My view is to just use a bit of common sense - same as you would in any city. You can normally tell when the vibe is all wrong and you get the hell out of there.
Of course this will all go out of the window after 12 hours on the piss - hopefully I'll live to tell the tale.

http://www.graylineneworleans.com/

was thinking of doing one of the tours from this company. Will prob just go down there on the day (it is off Decatur) and see what the deal is. Would be nice if the bus/coach was half empty so you can move around a bit. SWH.

Can't wait to start shouting 'Who Dat!' at people :-)

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

My favorite thing about N'Awlins are the hurricanes...the kind you drink not the wet n' windy ones :)

Re: New Orleans - tourist advice
 

New Orleans isn't like other cities, because bad neighborhoods and housing projects tend to be located in close proximity to affluent and tourist areas. So no, it isn't the same as it would be in other cities.